Sonic Forces Redux
by Maporapo
Summary: Thanks to a mysterious new power, Eggman has successfully taken over most of the world! Sonic is captured, Tails goes missing, and Knuckles forms a crew known as the Resistance to fight Eggman's forces. With the help of a brave new face, will our heroes defeat the powerful Infinite and take their world back? Fixfic/Novelization.
1. The Ultimate Invention? Silver's Warning

**Author's Note:** This is something I'll probably spend a fair amount of my time working on. While I loved Forces, I feel its story left a bit to be desired, and had quite a few holes and inconsistencies throughout, with a lot that was not elaborated on. My goal is simple: I wish to retell the story of Forces in a more coherent, interesting, and engaging way, elaborate on the things that went unexplained, and hopefully try to keep this retelling believable and realistic, so it seems like something you could see in the games, or at least the comics. Something more along the lines of what you'd actually expect from Sonic, and then some. It's a big undertaking, so I'll be releasing it in parts and try to keep it the cleanest I can. I'm not a perfect writer, but I have a lot of experience under my belt, and I'm hoping my take on the story will provide a lot for readers to enjoy. Thank you!

An important thing to mention is that this is in third person present tense. It's in part a writing experiment because I don't normally do present tense, I know it's uncommon and awkward but I'm hoping you'll give this experiment a little read anyways.

Please bookmark or subscribe to the story if you want to be notified when I pump out new chapters. Thanks again!

It should be known that while I will continue to update on , I update much faster and more thoroughly on Archive Of Our Own, so follow me (Maporapo) on AO3 and subscribe to the work there if you want EXPRESS SHIPPING

Any similarities with any other fanworks or concepts are entirely coincidental. Let's get started!

* * *

"Prepare yourself, Sonic…!" There is a well-paced sequence of steps aboard the Egg Carrier, their metallic melody backed by the harmonious sounds of unknown liquids bubbling in glass tanks. Dr. Eggman speaks again, talking to no one in particular as he thoroughly eyeballs readings on a monitor. He clenches his fists and grins maliciously, brimming with a childlike enthusiasm. For him, it's a very good day.

"I've poured all my hatred for you into this one project. My ultimate weapon is now complete!" The doctor turns to face one of the glass tanks, peering into it and practically frothing at the mouth as he ponders the eerie figure floating within it. There is a triangular jewel-like object on its chest, which glows a sickly red and pulsates uncomfortably. "Every defeat...every humiliation… with this creation, I'll pay it all back, ten-thousandfold!"

He faces the monitor again. "...This is my dream come true. With this invention, I'll be able to build Eggmanland… no, the _Eggman Empire…_ and conquer the world!" Stuck in his hubris, the mad doctor cackles loudly, turning away from the big glass chamber with Orbot and Cubot in tow.

"The boss means business this time."

"Uh-huh…"

Within the tank a hand tightens and a head tilts down to reveal one yellow eye, sharp with malice.

* * *

"So… you say you don't know what's going on either?" Knuckles taps his chin, trying his best to make sense of what he's hearing. He walks over to the Master Emerald and props himself on top of it.

"N-no, I don't! I just know it's bad, real bad! You said it yourself - Chaos is normally harmless. He wouldn't just attack you for no reason! And Pachacamac's village… it appeared out of thin air..." Silver's shaking a little, but he's balling his hands into tight fists and squeezing his palms, probably in an attempt to ease some of his nervous tension. It seems to work. "This all has to tie into the calamity that's about to befall us!"

"Calamity? What're you saying?"

Silver plants his feet on the ground and looks up at Knuckles with a stern expression. _"Something_ happens in this time that brings the world to ruin. I don't know what happens, or how it happens, just that it's _something..._ and it _happens._ My future was so bright and peaceful before... but when I woke up, I found myself in a different world entirely. Our _true_ future, apparently. I'm guessing all the jumping back and forth between time periods has made my perception kind of unstable, and it took until now for reality to catch up to me." He places a hand on his head, looking at the ground with a solemn face. For a brief moment the hedgehog squints his eyes and they slowly roll to the left, and then to the right, as if he's questioning if his very presence is a figment of his imagination. "Everything was barren and ruined, almost completely empty. The libraries were all destroyed, so I didn't have any luck finding records on the events, and the ones I could find were barely readable."

"An unknown threat, huh. And you don't have any idea what it could be?"

"My future only gave me one clue, from some wreckage I found - it has something to do with Eggman, as you probably could have guessed. But I don't know what role he plays, exactly. It doesn't make sense for Sonic to just lose to Eggman all of a sudden, unless there was something else... or _someone_ else." Silver sighs. "So of course, I traveled back here to hopefully steer off what's happening and save the future. I'm thankful that Little Planet showed up when it did."

"...And so you came to me. If something happened on the surface, I wouldn't have known until it was too late." Knuckles hops off of the Emerald and folds his arms, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Maybe my involvement is crucial to saving the world, then."

Silver tightens his lips. "I wish I could say I knew that for sure. Being a Guardian, I just thought you should be the first to know. Since you wouldn't have known before, it's entirely possible that your participating could change things for the better."

"Ahuh..." Knuckles is contemplative for a moment. "Well, it's good to see you, Silver. Heck, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you just love coming back to see us!"

"I really do, to be honest," Silver replies, smiling. "It's always great to see you guys again. But believe me when I say I'm not jumping to the past again just to say hi. I'm here to save my future. _Your_ future. That comes first."

"Well... we don't want to waste any more time then." Knuckles raises a fist, unruffled. "We'll bring everyone together to face Eggman _and_ this thing that ruined your future. Whatever's going on, I'll lead them all against it!"

The hedgehog grins, taken back by Knuckles' boldness. "I-I don't know if all that's really necessary, but I'm really glad to have your help. I guess a little preparation never hurt anything… Let's gather the others, then, quickly!"


	2. The Lost Valley! Eggman's Victory!

"Hold on Tails, I'm on my way!"

It takes our speedy blue hero maybe a grand total of five whole seconds to notice that there is something significantly wrong with where he stands. A traveler by heart, he recognizes the many things that decorate the planet he loves. But as he zooms across the landscape, he sees that Green Hill is something very different. To him, the zone as a whole is more than just the clean air, the lush vegetation, the glistening lakes, and the open land. For Sonic it is a healthy and beautiful reminder of where things all began. So to find the lakes stuffed with sand, the grass dead, and the air dry leaves the spiny speedster a little prickly. It feels like a part of him is being spat on and kicked. And even though he doesn't know how it happened, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who's responsible for it.

Sonic sighs as he hops off of a large chunk of sinking land. "This place is a wreck. Thanks, Eggman." He sets himself onto a tower-like landmass, taking a second's glance out into the distance before speeding down the side, accelerating rapidly. Green Hill is in an extreme state of ruin, parts of the ground broken into sizable lumps and circled by dull pools of sand. Sonic shakes his head as he swiftly maneuvers the golden obstacle course his nemesis has laid out for him, keeping his pace. His feet make firm yet brief contact with the sandlogged masses as he jumps, cutting the air with a series of acrobatic maneuvers. With a quick flip he touches down onto a straight and speeds onward. As he moves towards a large rock face he stumbles, if only for a millisecond, at a strange vibration beneath his feet.

"What the…" Sonic thankfully has time make a mighty leap before the straight of land snaps in half beneath him, from between the two halves erupting a gargantuan, violet, worm-like creature. Blitzing forward still, he peers back at the sight, watching the purple creature spiral up into the sky before plummeting back down into the sand. He grins and lets loose a surprised whistle. "Man, check out the size of that thing! Guess all kinds of stuff shows up when your neighborhood turns into a desert..." Sonic steps onward, effortlessly avoiding the sand traps and sinking platforms throughout as he sprints. The motions are natural to him, like breathing. Each bound a breath, never faltering. Running is something he, being Sonic, is really good at. At one point he finds his path obscured by a line of silver-colored Badniks, and decides to do that other thing he's really good at: curling up within the span of a second, he blasts forward, busting holes through the villainous scrap at blinding speeds.

Badniks - at least the way Sonic sees it - are more like a fun diversion. Never capable of causing trouble on their own, but they exist and are basically harmless. A few Egg Pawns? No biggie. The flying ones? Bonus points. It's like the Doc sees some sort of game in their meetings. As Sonic nails a few more bullseyes and lands, a thought passes through his head, which he freely vocalizes. "Huh, these aren't Doc's usual. Guess he was feeling generous enough to give me something new to smash."

With little time to ponder this any further, Sonic jumps again as he feels another great tremor beneath him. However this time he miscalculates, and the worm creature's head launches out from just in front of him. Fight or flight shifts to top gear and he grabs onto the creature's length as it soars through the air and takes him for a rocky trip across the sky. He shifts his head a little to look forward, following the worm's trajectory with his eyes. Farther out in front of him he can see pipes and other machinery, and the sand seems to dissolve. But what really draws his attention is the buildings clustered together in the distance, which appear to be settled in flames. The wind pries and pulls at him as the sandworm loses altitude right before a cliff head, signaling his stop. He deftly leaps for the cliff and speeds off, leaving the worm behind him as it makes its exit into the sand below. Clicking the communicator piece in his ear, he speaks over his lightning steps.

"Hey Tails, I had to take a little detour, but I'm almost there! Mind telling me what's going on?"

"I'll be in Park Avenue. I don't know how, but Eggman's forces have already swarmed most of the city! You need to get here, quick! I can't keep myself hidden for long..."

"Hey, you know me, don't you? 'Quick' is what I do best!"

He can hear Tails chuckle on the other end. "Hah, yeah, of course..."

"Alright, the city's coming up now, so we'll talk more once I get there and crack ol' Eggface. It won't be more than a moment!"

"Sounds good. Be careful, Sonic."

"Heh, aren't I always?" Sonic says. Right after that, he adds in a cooler "You too, buddy."

There is a click and the audio feed cuts out. Sonic looks forward with determination and begins to roll himself up, his speed not dropping in the slightest. As he spins forward, he bounces off of a nearby flying badnik, using it to propel himself into the sky. He takes in the brief moment in a way that only Sonic would: straightening his arms and legs, he shifts to a missile-like formation and closes his eyes, feeling the dusty air tickle his face and letting himself hang for a moment. When he's at peak height, he peers down at the city in the distance and reels back before snapping himself into a ball as he falls. He spins rapidly during his descent, and once he makes contact with the ground, it is practically shredded in half in an explosion of kinetic energy as his rolling body sweeps the land stretching towards the city. Looking forward, his thoughts drift over the chaotic Green Hill he left behind, and his grin is tested when a realization strikes him: _Man, cleanup's gonna be a chore._

* * *

"Well, if it isn't Sonic's little fox friend! Why hello, Tails."

Tails freezes. Warily and cautiously he turns around to meet the voice at face, and the civilians with him follow suit. His body is stiff.

"You've been almost as much of a pain as that hedgehog..." Eggman furrows his brow at those last few words as his Eggmobile hovers closer. Egg Pawns march in from afar and circle Tails in rings, taking slow and stiff steps to close the gap. "But now? Ohohoho, I almost feel sorry for you! To think I honestly saw _you_ as a capable threat for a time!"

Tails clenches his teeth and takes a cautious step backwards. "Just wait… Sonic is heading here as we speak. He'll stop you!"

The Egg Pawns march closer. "Oh, he's coming here, is he? How delightful!" Unexpectedly, Eggman is cheesing and rubbing his hands giddily. It has Tails very worried. "Why, this only improves things! In fact, why don't you call him twice? I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"What...?"

There is now a distant whirring that only gets louder. "And speak of the spiky blue devil! I'm going to _enjoy this."_

A blue sphere of light streams across the ground, catching the attention of both parties. It shifts in the opposite direction and blitzes through one of the lines, shredding through the circle of foes as if they were paper. On its way out, it bounds into the air and unfurls to reveal the confident smirk of the figure compacted within. Sonic the Hedgehog splays his arms out freely before rolling back up, springing off of the remaining Pawns' heads one by one before touching the ground. In a cool maneuver he shifts forward, taking himself through the remaining enemies. From his position he leaps backwards before stomping down on the last Badnik to finish the job, dusting his hands as he looks towards Tails and the civilians. "Everyone okay?"

Tails smiles at the refreshing sight, disregarding the weight in his stomach with a relieved sigh. "Yeah, thanks to you. Cutting it kinda close though, pal!"

Sonic straightens up and grins, shrugging. "Yeah, that's pretty much just how I roll." He turns to Eggman, who is eyeing him unusually, eager and hungry. It doesn't feel right. "Alright, let's finish this, Eggman." Sonic points a finger in his direction and his smarmy expression loosens a little, albeit briefly.

"Ohohoho, it is _you_ who will be finished, rodent! Behold the power of my ultimate masterpiece!"

Impulsively, Sonic leaps into the air and jets into Eggman's direction, looking to topple him from his levitating throne. To his surprise, he is interrupted by the powerful strike of a force all too familiar to him. "Huh..?!"

He lands onto the ground and shifts back a little, getting a good eyeful of his interceptor, who stands only a few feet away from him.

"Shadow? It's _you?"_

Before he can process it further, a fireball drops from the sky and a streak of red appears to shatter the ground in front of him, prompting Sonic to leap back. "Zavok?"

Sonic has little time to recover, because from there a gelatinous mass stretches from behind him. He is able to dodge its assault as expertly as usual, but is inches away from being struck by an intense purple light, which whizzes around him at matching speeds. The entities involved make themselves known. "Chaos? Metal?"

Stepping away from Eggman, Tails guides the civilians into a hidden passage, but his eyes remain fixated on the sight before him. _This is insane!_

Sonic takes a good look at the rogues gallery assembled before him and shakes his head, smirking again. "C'mon doc, is this supposed to be threatening? I've outmatched, outsmarted, and outran these guys before. Who's to say I won't do it again?"

As if to answer, the world sends him a fifth - an ominous, masked individual with a blood red glow - who slowly descends before him. It eyes Sonic and moves little, hovering in front of him as if to intimidate. The worrying part is that it seems to work. Sonic's smirk doesn't fade, but something unnerves him about this guy, and he takes no time to ponder it. He shifts forward again with no startup, using his speed in an attempt to tear through the masked individual as if he were another Badnik. Sonic is confused to find he makes contact with nothing but the hot air itself. The masked figure dodged, somehow. A prediction of the future, maybe? Or just one heck of a lucky guess? Sonic's eyes narrow. From the very point the thought of attacking popped up in his head, this foe read him like a book.

"He's… faster than Sonic?" Tails is in disbelief.

The masked figure lifts himself up into the air, his head tilted towards Sonic as if taunting him. Sonic readies to attack again, not a single quip leaving his mouth this time. As he spins into the air, the entity effortlessly counters his aggression with a flipkick before transitioning into a powerful roundhouse, sending Sonic tumbling into a nearby building. Sonic drops to the ground, dazed. He balls his fist up and leaps to his feet, only to find pressure in the form of Zavok, whose clawed hand manages to get half an inch from his face before it is halted. Sonic retaliates with a combo of swift kicks and a blue wind envelops him as he springs toward the masked being, who vanishes from sight.

Tails pulls out his MilesElectric and eyeballs the action intently, the gears in his head already turning. "No...wait... it's something else!" Anxious, he lowers his eyes and backs in between two buildings, concealing himself within the sunset shade as he looks the screen over. _SCANNING..._

Sonic's brief ascension is interrupted by the zooming Metal Sonic, who forces him to drop to the ground. Moderately rustled, Sonic rockets off towards the roof of a nearby building, but makes no progress as Chaos awaits his arrival, forcing him into a defensive stance with his powerful grasp. "What the… How're you doing thi-" is all he can blurt out before the masked figure appears behind him and strikes him once again, launching him a good distance across the lot. Eggman floats towards him, a fiendish smile on his face. _"Nice."_

Tails is watching all this play out from the shadows and as time passes his anxiety only grows. He shakes the device in his hands impatiently, crossing his fingers for some semblance of a clue. A few seconds of waiting and an unpleasant result is delivered to him: " _UNKNOWN DATA"._ Tails' focus drifts to the strange figure, whose eerie red glow gives him a serious case of the chills. "No way… he's not a robot? There's no Chaos energy in him, either. I'm not picking up anything else..."

Sonic gets to his feet again, this time significantly more sluggish than before. Tails is troubled even more when he hears Sonic speak: his voice is apprehensive. "Tails, I really need to know what's going on with this guy!"

"I'm trying, but these readings are all messed up! They don't make any sense!" As soon as this is said, the mysterious figure approaches again and kicks Sonic into a wall before he has a chance to think. The figure launches the has-been hero into the air with a powerful upwards swing of the leg, and with that Shadow, Zavok, Chaos, and Metal Sonic leap after the humbled hedgehog and break into him with surprising coordination. "Oof- running out of time here, Tails!" Tails is stuck watching as Sonic is juggled helplessly, and his eyes rapidly sweep over the MilesElectric again in a panic. "No, no, no…" Sonic is unfortunately unable to escape from the villains' seemingly endless frenzy of strikes, and is only given relief when the masked figure stamps him with his foot, the force of the blow practically pressing his body into the concrete. Tails grits his teeth and waits for Sonic to stand, if only to tell him something like "We have to go!" Instead, he very nearly loses his mind at what he sees. To his horror, Sonic is motionless, and does not stand.

"Sonic, get up! Please!" The young inventor's pleas are mangled amongst the maniacal laughing of the mad doctor, who hovers over Sonic's body. Tails drops his MilesElectric and is just about to run to Sonic himself before Shadow blocks his path, staring him down coldly. He can only look the black hedgehog in the face, eyes wide. "Please Shadow, snap out of it! I need to get to Sonic!"

Shadow doesn't respond.

"There's nothing you can do, foxboy! If Sonic couldn't beat me, what could _you_ possibly hope to accomplish here?" Dr. Eggman turns to his creation. "Excellent work. Grab Sonic and move. My empire won't build itself!"

"There he is! Let's pick up the pace!" Rapid footsteps are heard as three shapes enter the torn city, attracting the attention of the doctor. Tails watches as they come further into view, and identifies them as Silver, Knuckles, and Amy. He is frozen and scared for them. They step in and view the scene with tightened faces, their frowns growing at the sight of Eggman's new creation and Sonic's still body. "Tails?" Knuckles notices Tails being blocked in by Shadow, and is surprised to say the least. "Shadow...? To find you in league with the enemy..."

Amy's eyes glow and she spins her hammer in her hand impatiently, clenching her teeth. Silver speaks up. "No, we were too late!"

"Nonsense! You came just in time to see what remains of your great hedgehog hero." Dr. Eggman stretches his arms out dramatically, presenting the fallen Sonic like some sort of prize. "Get a good eyeful, because this is the last you'll be seeing of him for a _very_ long time! Ohohoho!"

Knuckles shakes his fist. "Grrrhh! Normally I'd say 'rough 'em up', but with Sonic down, we can't take that sort of risk right now!"

Dr. Eggman is smiling, amused. "It's nice to see you're making the right choices for once, Knuckles. But I think your fears need reinforcing, just in case you get a little hasty..." He looks towards the masked figure. "Give them a little demonstration, will you?"

 _"...With pleasure."_

The reddish glow surrounding the masked entity grows more intense, and the gem on his chest appears to swirl and warp. With an outstretched hand, a red field of energy engulfs the power trio, and they can only grab onto pipes and stray chunks of concrete as the ground crumbles and opens a mile-deep pit beneath them, distorting their vision. "Grab onto something...!"

The entity's jewel-like object glows again and from the heavens blasts a large beam of orange energy, directed into the crumbling pit. The three have little time to react as the beam slowly widens, threatening to engulf the entirely of the hole. "Amy, move! He's gonna cook us!" Amy climbs quickly and pulls herself and Silver up to safety before the rod of energy can move in their direction, but Knuckles, who is buried further in, just barely makes it out, yelping as his arm is burned by the scorching pillar. By cue, Shadow departs with Eggman, and the beam dissipates as Tails runs to the others, his mind racing. "We need to get Sonic!"

"We _need_ to head back to base," Silver demands. "This is too dangerous to take head on!"

Tails' gaze grows fierce. "I'm not leaving Sonic behind! We can't just let Eggman take him!"

Amy is looking at Knuckles' charred arm. She's trembling a little - maybe with anger, maybe with sadness, maybe with fear. Despite this, she's trying her hardest to sound reasonable. "Normally I'd agree, Tails. I really would. ...But Silver is right. We don't even know what this new creation of Eggman's is fully capable of."

Eggman laughs heartily as he turns to leave, not even giving the trio of friends a goodbye's glance. Knuckles shakes his head. "I don't feel like getting burned up again just because we wanted to be a little reckless today. Let's cut our losses."

Knuckles steps down, but Tails is glaring hard enough to pierce holes in the doctor. Frustrated beyond belief, his tails start to spin and he jumps up from a running start, attempting to pursue the mad doctor himself. "Tails, come on!"

Despite his wishes, he gets less than a few meters' start before he is sent crashing backwards with a titanium punch from Metal Sonic. "Hrrk-!" As Tais drops, his fall is slowed by Silver, who gently sets him onto the ground. His fire vanishes as he sees the masked figure float in the direction of Eggman, Sonic in his hands. The figure's head shifts to Tails with a piercing eye.He can almost hear it speak again. _Useless child._

There is a strange, discomforting silence as Eggman and his crew make their departure, leaving Tails and the others to rot in their feelings. Knuckles' burn is quickly tended to, and it takes a while for Tails to recuperate, but he does. Soon the only sight left for the party of friends is a few specks in the distance, highlighted by the sunset.

"I can't believe this… I can only hope Sonic will be okay..." Amy's voice is wavering.

"It is what it is, now." Silver sighs. "Eggman gaining a new power, Sonic being defeated… I'm almost certain now that this point in time was the catalyst for the events leading to my future. As long as we're together though, we still have a fighting chance. Let's retreat."

"We'll at least be able to round up the rest of the Resistance now." Expressing his sympathies the best he can, Knuckles pats Tails on the back and begins his pace behind Silver and Amy. "Come on, Tails. I want to show you our hideout."

Tails moves along with Knuckles and the others, but he does not say a word. Melancholic, his eyes only glisten.


	3. This Isn't Over! Tails' Desperation!

"To make a long story short, Silver came from the future because he knew something like this would happen."

"Ehe… you could call it a psychic hunch."

"But he didn't know the specifics - he only knew it was something bad, and it didn't take a genius to guess it had to do with Eggman. So I decided we would gather the others and form a standing force for when things went south. This bunker within the Mystic Ruins is going to be our base of operations for the time being."

Amy speaks up. "We were actually looking for Shadow's help. We didn't know where Sonic was, and were hoping he could help us out. But as soon as we saw Eggman's robots gather around Park Avenue, we had to change our plans. I can't believe Shadow would side with Eggman like that…"

Tails gets up from his seat. For the past few minutes he has been listening to the best of his ability, but at the same time his thoughts battle him for his attention. His somber expression persists when he opens his mouth. "It was something else. He didn't __choose__ to join Eggman… it has something to do with that new power."

"New power? You mean..."

"Whatever burned your arm and tried to drop you guys to the center of the planet. That masked guy is Eggman's newest invention. He had Chaos and Zavok under his control too. I don't know how, that new power is why Shadow is working for Eggman."

Knuckles scratches his head. "Huh, so you're saying it's like, mind control or something?"

"Only thing I can think of right now," Tails says, rubbing his face wearily. "It doesn't make sense for Shadow to just leave us like this."

Knuckles looks towards the ground, freezing in thought for a brief moment. He opens his mouth to speak, and his voice trades its previously oafish tone for a strangely stoic and confident cadence. Amy's ears lift - she finds it assuring. "Alright, well let's try to look at it from both sides. With Sonic out of the way, Eggman will probably start whatever scheme for world domination he's cooked up." As Knuckles says this, Tails folds his arms. The fur on his cheeks is slightly stained. "But at the least, we're not rushing anymore. We were hoping to intercept and retrieve Sonic before anything could happen, but that fell through. Eggman has Sonic now, but it'll take him a while to get anything done, so we can use that time to gather the others and prepare for an assault before he has a chance to do any major damage."

Amy is attentive, but her face reads concern. "Right. Let's get the others. I know Rouge will want to know what's going on too."

Everyone is huddled together except for Tails, who gets up. He is quiet. "You guys do that… but I'm going to get Sonic back."

Silver and Amy share puzzled faces before looking back at Tails. "What?"

"Eggman still has Sonic, so I'm going to get him back," Tails reiterates.

Knuckles doesn't lose his serious tone. "Tails, we just got here. We have to play it safe, at least until we can gather the others. Just lay low for now." He winces at those last few words, because he can see Tails stiffen in place. It's clear he struck a nerve.

Tails turns around. "'Lay low'? Knuckles, we can't just do that after what happened! Laying low isn't what'll rescue Sonic." His voice breaks a little, and he furrows his brow. The room is cold and dry. "...Besides, I have an advantage."

"Tails, you're not thinking. What advantage could we possibly have against an unknown enemy?"

" _Eggman's_ the one who's not thinking. He believes there's nothing I'll do. He doesn't see me as a threat. He's not expecting me, so that's my advantage. It was a long time ago, but I've beaten him before. He forgot that I can do anything he can do."

Silver takes a few steps forward, concern in his voice. "I understand that you want Sonic back, Tails... we all do. But what you're doing... that's a big risk. We still don't know the enemy's power, or even where Eggman is located! It's not like you can just walk into his secret base and pick Sonic up."

"That's why I'm going to fly there instead. See, I picked up a few Chaos Emeralds from me and Sonic's last adventure. The Tornado is configured to use them in place of the regular energy generator. Eggman isn't expecting _this,_ either." He speaks with certainty. "Just three Emeralds should be more than enough to keep him and his friend off my trail."

"But you don't know that for sure! And besides, what are you going to do once you're inside? You're not expecting us to come with you, are you?"

Tails purses his lips. "I'll figure it all out when I get there. With or without you guys."

Amy's eyes light up, but not in anger. She is worried. _"If_ you get there. Tails, that's being ridiculous. What if you don't make it back?"

While the assault of questions pries at Tails, he cooly pushes them away, having already marked a path in his mind. "Breaking into Eggman's bases is basically routine for me and Sonic. You guys can do whatever you're doing, but I don't want to wait any longer." His voice lowers to a mumble. "...When we get Sonic, he'll fix this, like he always does."

Knuckles is snarling now. "So that's how it is, then…" He bears his teeth, aggravated. "Is there _any_ changing your mind? What else do you need to see to realize you're being ridiculous, Tails? Do you want to see me get burnt by _another_ space laser?" He steps forward and looks Tails in the eye, who is unflinching. "Did you forget that Eggman's new friend defeated Sonic? Do you think all of that just _won't happen again?_ You know if Sonic were here, he'd want you safely preparing with the rest of us!"

"Exactly… Sonic _isn't_ here." Tails faces back towards the door and begins his leave, his face empty. He challenges Knuckles with his decisive intonation. Realizing there's no changing his mind, the others step back when they hear him, informally resolving in their silence to leave him be. "...And all of that _won't_ happen again, because I won't let Sonic down again. I'll protect my friend this time."

* * *

When Tails reaches his trusty biplane, he slowly runs his hand over the big white text that marks the side of the pilot's seat. _SONIC._ The name painted on the side is a comfortable reminder of the plane's history. The memories pour into the front of Tails' mind like a waterfall, and he can't help but smile warmly as he recalls them.

 _"Hey, this is way faster than before! You did this?"_

 _"Yeah… mechanics is all I'm good at, really. I'm sorry for working on it without asking..."_

Tails jumps into the pilot's seat and clicks a button. A panel in the middle opens up, revealing 7 circular slots. He places a blue emerald in one of the slots, and a green and white emerald in the two next to it. Without hesitation he flips a switch and the slots light up one by one. When they're all lit, he closes the hatch and straightens his brow.

Closing the emerald hatch, Tails pushes a button and a radar lights up on the side. _Unknown energy signature detected. Proceed north._ He lifts a lever and the propeller begins to spin, becoming louder as it dices up the air violently. "Alright, everything seems good..." Tails pulls another lever and the Tornado's wheels chase along the ground, only to depart from the planet within the span of seconds. The air is surprisingly warm, and it blankets Tails as if giving him the hug it feels he deserves.

 _"Don't apologize, this is awesome! What made you wanna fix my old plane up, anyways?"_

 _"Oh uh, well… every time I see you running around the island, I think you look really cool! So when I found your plane, I guess I couldn't help myself. I thought that maybe with a few changes, I could make it just as fast and cool as you!"_

A minute's time and the Tornado is high in the air. The panel in the middle pulsates and glows warmly with Chaos energy. Once Tails believes he is high enough, he flicks a switch and keeps his focus forward, hoping to distract himself from the sun's intrusive beaming. The plane settles into a balanced state and maintains a steady speed as it propels forward. It takes a few minutes to really get moving, and so Tails uses this time to perform quick weapon and radar tests. At one point he takes a brief glimpse at the blackened and broken city behind him, and he immediately regrets it.

He looks over the radar again, maneuvering his craft in the direction of a large crimson blip. "It's not moving, and it's the same energy in that guy… Eggman's base has to be this way. I'm going to have to speed it up if I want to get Sonic." He presses up on the acceleration a little, hoping to expedite the process, and his mind wanders with the breeze once more.

 _"As fast and as cool as me, huh? You did a pretty sweet job. What's your name, pal?"_

 _"Err, it's Miles... Miles Prower! Oh, the others call me Tails, but I don't like that name very much..."_

 _"Tails, huh? What's wrong with that? I think that's great!"_

 _"W-what... really?"_

 _"Aw, yeah! Miles 'Tails' Prower, kid genius! You gotta admit, it has a really cool sound to it."_

 _"Oh, t-thanks."_

 _"Hmmh... Say, looks like you know your way around this better than I do. Why don't you take my plane for yourself?"_

 _"Oh no, I couldn't..!"_

 _"Hey, it's least I can do. Just promise you'll take me for a ride sometime, alright?"_

Another smile forces itself onto Tails' face. The memories are comforting to say the absolute least. Unfortunately Tails' period of reflection is abruptly shattered by the urgent beeping of the radar in the cockpit. The boy darts his eyes towards the display, and then to the barren stretch of land in front of him. Life seems to end where Tails is at. In place of grassy hills or bustling cities is cracked, gray ground with little in the way of notable landmarks. It is a bleak sight that leaves Tails mentally exhausted. "Guess I'm close… shifting to combat mode!" Tails pushes a button and small hatches flip open from the bottom of the plane to reveal glowing tubes of light. A large tower exists very faintly in the distance, and as it comes further into view Tails can make out exposed computer-like internals and steel rods jutting out from the top. This is Eggman's new base, and its incomplete nature is apparent. Specks fly out from the towering structure, and the Tornado's radar beeps accordingly when they come close. Tails can mark them with his eye. _Eggman knows I'm here. But he's forgetting what I can do!_

Soon, large, bird-like badniks are charging in Tails' direction from opposite sides, firing at him and hoping to trap him in a pincer maneuver. Anticipating this, Tails flicks up on the stick to focus the Tornado towards the clouds. The flying badniks move after him in their unfaltering pursuit. "They look different, but they're still Eggman's. Let's see how long they can stay on my tail!" Tails spirals a little during his ascension, hoping to catch the drones off guard and distract their fire. When he is high enough in the air, he pulls back and grins as the plane dives back down. Riding the air during his descent, he cruises forward to Eggman's base with a great burst of speed. Disoriented, the badniks miss their mark and very nearly crash into each other, netting him a safe window to slide closer to Eggman. He lifts a slider to crank the speed up, hoping to gain as much distance as he can and escape detection. The radar's beeping accelerates as the Tornado jets over the cracked land, and at this point the sound is practically a part of him.

 _"Hey Sonic, check this out! I made some last minute adjustments, and now the Tornado is the fastest it's ever been!"_

 _"The 'Tornado', huh?"_

 _"O-oh, see, you never had a name for the plane… so I thought of one myself! The Tornado! 'With sonic winds, a tornado spins!' Eheh, pretty great, right?"_

 _"...Huh, not bad. I like it!"_

With a deep breath, Tails pushes himself into action. His grip on the stick tightens as the whirring of the bird-like Badniks gets louder, signifying their approach. Focus not breaking in the slightest, he sharply twists around and clicks a button, sending rippling blasts of concentrated Chaos energy into an enemy. "Gotcha!" As if to avenge its fallen kin, the other foe picks up in speed and attempts to ram itself into Tails, who narrowly avoids smashing into it head-on as he accelerates away in an attempt to shake it off. Growling through gritted teeth, he twists around again and finds the badnik is just barely touching his craft, two seconds away from firing a hole through him. Clutching the controls harder than previous, Tails quickly pulls the craft up and then pushes down, performing an erratic, evasive maneuver that thankfully allows him to narrowly avoid the foe's decisive shot.

"Alright, let's do this, Eggman." Taking a hard roll to the right, with a grunt he pulls upwards again, performing a very tight and very risky somersault maneuver. He tightens his face and nearly breaks concentration as he spins through the air, but soon he is aligned with the ground again, with the badnik in front of him. Before it can turn, he pushes a button and pumps a fist as it is destroyed almost immediately. Tails corrects his position and sets himself in the direction of Eggman's base again, sweat beading down his face as he looks the radar over. He is given little time to relax however as two more blips pop out from the north side, followed by another pair… then two more… soon, a line of Badniks approaches Tails and the Tornado with the intention of clipping its wings.

"It looks like I have to twist my way into a landing!" Tails begins rolling to the left and then to the right, trying to swerve through the onslaught of foes. The flying machines swoop up and adapt to their opponent in an unexpected way - they form a large array in the air, threatening to push Tails towards the ground and send him crashing. The wall of foes lowers on him immediately and in perfect coordination, matching his speed near-exactly and restricting his movement as the view of Eggman's base becomes clearer. Tails purses his lips. "Urgh… this is gonna be tight..." He is forced to huddle the ground as he accelerates, with no room to move upwards and only ruin below. With the Tornado less than a yard away from clipping itself on the planet, Tails shouts and presses a button as the plane blasts forward to escape the descending blanket of flyers, leaving a sparkling trail behind him.

It isn't over yet. Tails looks over his radar again, and then back on the sight ahead of him. The flying fighter Badniks have vanished, but the radar's beeping is frantic and incessant. It is the large red dot, and to his dismay and confusion, there is a dark red dot of equal size moving in his direction. "W-what? One is the power in Eggman's base… so the other… _He's here already...?_ " Tails keeps straight, making occasional glances at the screen in the cockpit. The dark red blip is still flying towards him, and his thumb rests itself onto the fire button as he prepares for the inevitable. But as quickly as it moved, the crimson blip vanishes from the radar in its entirety, and the red one signifying Eggman's base seems to get farther and farther away. _ERROR! UNKNOWN ENERGY DETECTED! PROCEED_

Tails' vision blurs, and he slows the Tornado in a panic.

"What brings you here? Perhaps you were mislead. I cannot guarantee you a painless way out." A voice. _That voice._

"Agh… what… you… you should know exactly why I'm here! You took Sonic! So I'm going to get him back!" Tails is holding his head and gritting his teeth at the ominous shape hovering in front of him. His eyes go in and out of focus. For some reason, hearing this guy makes him feel sick.

"Ah yes, the blue hero was a friend of yours. How do you think he'd feel to know you've already foolishly marked your place next to him through this encounter?"

Tails speeds up and rolls to the left, creating distance between him and the mysterious enemy before firing. "He'd be happy, because I'm fighting you for him. You're overestimating yourself, you know. You're just another one of Eggman's stupid creations who got a little lucky. Maybe you didn't know, but that's his first win." Tails is trembling, but an assured smile marks his face as he rolls in the opposite direction and fires. "And when Sonic comes back, he'll set the record straight!"

The masked figure laughs a low, rumbly laugh as the Tornado's supercharged blasts phase through his body as if striking nothing, proving ineffective. "As you may be surprised to know, my power exists... _beyond_ Chaos."

Unsettled, Tails attempts to boost ahead of the figure, but makes no progress as the terrain seems to stretch further away from him. He's accelerating and yet going nowhere. Left with no choice, Tails bites his lip and shifts back into the masked figure's direction, firing shot after shot into him. Each time, the shot uselessly passes through him, and this only makes the ace pilot increasingly desperate.

"Now what could have transpired for you to become so thoughtless?" The figure folds his arms. "You, along with those friends of yours, were given the chance to escape with your own life. And yet you throw yours away now, under the false presumption that you can be _better than you are._ Where could you have possibly received that little notion?"

Tails fires again, mashing the trigger frantically as his breath quickens. Endless rays of light flood his vision, but the result does not change. He is lost.

" _..._ Ah, I suppose such a foolish state of mind can't be helped." The masked creature lifts a hand and a red glow emits from it, the ground crumbling beneath him. "I will impart to you a very important lesson. You would do well to take it with you in your next life."

The fox's senses dim again, and he is silent.

 _"If Sonic couldn't beat me, what could you possibly hope to accomplish here?"_

 _"To think I honestly saw you as a capable threat for a time!"_

 _"You're being ridiculous!"_

 _"I won't let Sonic down again. I'll protect my friend this time."_

"Pathetic child."

The Tornado falls. As it descends, distant memories and a shattered soul come crashing down with it.


	4. Records of War! Resistance Steps Forward

Knuckles reads off of a list while scanning a crowd of faces. Behind him is a large table with two containers sitting on it. The faces stew in silence as he reads.

"Vector."

"Right here!"

"Amy."

"Here!"

"Charmy?"

"Here, here!"

"Rouge!"

"I'm here."

"Espio."

"Present."

He looks over the list again, tapping at the unmarked names.

"...Where's Cream?"

Amy speaks up. "I thought it was too dangerous to hold her here and risk keeping her from her mom. I just told Gemerl what was going on and said to reach out to us if anything happened. He's going to keep close watch on the area around Night Carnival."

"Alright. And Blaze?"

"Cream said she still can't reach her. She must be dealing with something similar in her own dimension… Ooh, I hope she's okay."

"Darn… we really could use the extra _fire_ power right now." Knuckles cracks a half-smile and snickers at his own words before snapping back into his focus. "...Maybe if we're lucky she'll show up later, I guess. Uh, Big?"

Amy flashes an awkward grin and rolls her eyes. "He's guarding the entrance, remember!"

"Oh, right. So, of course, this just leaves Tails, Sonic, Shadow, and Omega…" As he says 'Shadow', he can see Rouge's gaze fall, and his eyes roll away clumsily. "Well uh, hello, members of the Resistance." Knuckles sighs. "Let's be quick. Silver came back with an update, and it pains me to say that we are officially on the defensive for the time being." As he says this, the room erupts into a flood of murmurs and worried looks.

Vector punches his palms. "Hey, we got most of the crew together, right? We've been doing small scale since we got here, and now we're just not going to attack after all? What's the big idea, Knux?"

"It's… been a struggle this past couple of days, as you know. Eggman has been claiming territory at a dangerous rate. His robots are seemingly endless, and while they're no more threatening than before, we're still outnumbered. As I speak, he has over half the planet on lockdown. Recently, Silver found out that the Windmill Isle in Apotos and the surrounding area has been taken over." Knuckles clears his throat. "We should have more people on our side, but with that masked man running around, and with what happened to Sonic…" Everyone's eyes wander as soon as this is said. "...Sorry. With what happened, it's like everyone is too afraid to join us. The plan was to build an attacking force and start coming together for an assault, but we're not making any progress on that, so we're done with that."

Rouge shakes her head, the disappointment clear in her voice. "We're done? So we're just not reaching out to anyone else, now?"

"We'd be wasting our time if we kept searching for recruits. We're going to have to make do with what we have. Besides, we have a new goal..." Knuckles lifts his fist and gives it a solid shake, a triumphant gesture to signify a call to action. "...it's a strict defense operation now. Because of how quickly Eggman's moving, attacking just isn't an option. So before he can crunch us in, we have to cover as much ground as we can with what we have and push him back! To help with that, Silver has something for us." He turns to Silver, who steps into the dim light of the room as all eyes fall on him.

"Uh, for those who don't already know, Tails left about a week ago to fight Eggman himself using a few of the Chaos Emeralds." Silver's eyelids drop, a forlorn expression on his face. "I was afraid of this, but as you can see... he hasn't come back. It's pretty safe to say that the Emeralds' power won't get us anywhere, and of course we can't just start searching for all seven just to confirm this." The hedgehog walks over to one of the chests on the table and places a hand on it. "Things aren't all doom and gloom, though. I'm not really a brains guy, but earlier today I was able to meet Professor Pickle and a few of his friends in Spagonia. And I'm very happy to say that with their help, we may be able to slow Eggman down."

Everyone closes in on the box in curiosity as Silver opens it, revealing tiny devices by the hundreds. "First, there's earpiece micro-communicators for everyone. They're probably not as fancy as the ones Tails uses, but they should be great for when we're out and about. We're also going to get some other things for the hideout too, like computers and radars, but this is just enough to get going for the moment. Now, secondly…" Silver begins to open the other container. It is much larger than the first. "Professor Pickle told me he and his colleagues have been studying the Wisps ever since they followed Sonic here. Apparently for a while now he's been looking for a way to harness their great energy without exhausting them."

The psychic youth reaches in the box and pulls out one of the odd gadgets. It is red and has a strange dome-like shape with a tube sticking out of it. Lifting a hand, he presents it to the circle, smiling. "What I'm holding is the result of a long-running collaborative project at Spagonia University. The professor and his partners call it the _Wispon._ With this, the Resistance will have more than just a fighting chance."

There is a collective of oohs and ahhs amongst the multitude. Charmy flies in to give it a closer look. "A Wispon? Woah, cool! Are we all gonna get one?"

Silver places it back in the box and steps away. "Professor Pickle says this is the first working design, and he and his friends can only make so many at the moment. As we speak, he's working with engineers elsewhere to get more of these made for everyone, but that's going to take some time. So if you know you can already fight, then it's better that you don't take one."

Knuckles speaks up to break the chatter. "Alright, Eggman's still pushing fast, so with what we have, we're going to stop his advance. No more, no less. Remember, we're playing defense, so don't do anything hasty. Grab some Wispons and let's get moving."

* * *

"Switch to _Cube_ and hold your position. They'll let up soon enough!" An unstoppable force, Knuckles' fists come crashing into the Egg Pawns with great might. The troops behind him all flick a switch on their Wispons and swing downwards, the resulting shockwave crystallizing the foes instantly. Knuckles stays in front of them as he moves, asserting his position as the frontline through the power he exudes. Another fist swings and shatters a flyer upon impact. As Knuckles and his party bust Badniks along the frosty Ice Cap, he hears a voice speak in his head, and his actions slow for a moment.

"This is Silver! The masked man is here in Speed Highway! I'm stepping out. Now's the best time for you to push in!"

"Ugh, what?! There's no point in me staying here like this while he's around."

"Knuckles, we have to at least make _some_ progress. You should move in to reclaim the rest of Ice Cap while you can!"

"Can't do that, Silver. We can't break our defense. It's too dangerous for any of us to stay out at all while Eggman's friend is on the field." Knuckles turns to his squad and points behind them. "Sorry to kick you guys around like this, but we're pulling out too."

"Retreating? Why? We can still fight!"

Knuckles begins making quick steps away from the legion of Egg Pawns, and the loyal troops follow, some more panicked than others. He frowns, making no attempt to hide his disdain in the moment. "The guy who took Sonic is out and about again. We're not here to take risks."

With that answer, Knuckles and his squad march back to the Mystic Ruins, his face unchanging from its stoic expression. Along the way, a few of his soldiers complain about the walk back, talk with one another, and make predictions about what will happen, among other things. Their casual, earthy chatter gets Knuckles thinking. He calls them soldiers in part because it sounds really cool and serious, but he acknowledges that they are not "soldiers" in the traditional sense, like the ones on the programs Tails used to watch. The assorted anthromorphs that follow him have had no training, no formal designation, and no hardening in battle. They are simply brave but ultimately unremarkable people who wish to stand for the world they live in. They are the few people he and the others came across who actually wanted to get up and fight. So for their weaknesses and fears, Knuckles finds solace in their company, and he likens these people to himself - their will to fight and protect makes them more than worthy of being called "soldiers" to him.

Knuckles steps into the Mystic Ruins and looks around. As he makes quiet steps beneath the canopy of trees, he is stopped by a strange distortion in the air which begins to vibrate underneath his feet. "Did you guys feel that?"

"Yeah… what the heck was that?"

"I don't know…"

With little time to ponder the strange waves, Knuckles and his crew wander the expanse of the twisting rainforest before coming across Big the Cat, who sits quietly beneath a tree. "Hey Big. Mind backing us up?"

"...Ok."

Fishing rod in hand, Big gets up from his spot and starts waddling deeper into the jungle maze. Knuckles gestures for the others to follow him, slowly trailing behind the large feline as he maneuvers the jungle, unfaltering. The world darkens around the group as they go further in, and soon they come across a incline surrounded by vines and other vegetation. A large door opens up and Big steps back to let Knuckles and company in front of him. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Big."

"No problem!" And with that, Big walks off and fades into the thick of the jungle, likely to head to his usual spot beneath the trees.

Knuckles steps into the Resistance HQ and assesses his surroundings - on the left side of the vacant room, a few nondescript faces are sitting around, looking over maps and fiddling with their Wispons like they're toys. On the right side, Rouge is standing in the corner of the room with folded arms, and Amy is hunched over a large monitor, speaking over a micro-communicator. "What's going on...?"

"Amy? Are the others back yet?"

Amy's eyes dart towards Knuckles for a brief moment and she shakes her head. Her focus goes back to the computer monitor, which displays an altitude map of the expansive area around Station Square and the Ruins. "...I don't know what, but there's something huge coming up about 500 miles from where you're at! Can you see it?" As she says this, Rouge and Knuckles take positions behind Amy and peer over her. A large object rises some distance away from the base, but the map isn't detailed enough to show what it is.

Rouge breaks her silence. "Well, isn't that something… what could it be? Any ideas?"

Knuckles is stone-faced as he looks at the map again. "It's _huge…_ and rising fast… it could be… no, wait..." A chill creeps down his spine as an unpleasant conclusion pops in his head, but he decides to dismiss it.

Amy's eyes widen and she turns to Knuckles. Her words confirm his worries. "Um… Espio says it's the _Death Egg."_

"...What?" Knuckles is in disbelief. _That was what that rumbling was?_ "The Death Egg? He rebuilt the entire Death Egg in _a little less than a week?"_

"I'm just as surprised as you are, Knuckles... Silver and the others are heading back here now." Amy stands up, determined. "We have to get everyone together again and come up with a good plan."

"Your tenacity is appreciated sweetheart, but we hardly have enough people to pull off any sort of plan", Rouge mutters, eyes unfocused. "No one else wants to fight for us. They think just because Big Blue's down, it's over."

Knuckles is about to speak when everyone's thoughts are interrupted by a sharp crackling sound, which incites the party to hold their heads until it fades. A familiar voice speaks through the ears of everyone in the Resistance HQ, sending them into silence.

"To the innocent people of this splendid world: I am Dr. Eggman - owner of great intellect, and the man who will be your ruler!" Everyone's eyes lower in sync, and the room is quiet. "To the so-called "Resistance": Just give up already and surrender. I already have control over most of the world. Even your precious hero Sonic fell before you. You can't protect yourselves forever, so why not put down your weapons and give up now? You were lost from the start, and you certainly won't get anywhere following that foolish echidna."

Amy grabs the attention of the grimacing Knuckles and shows him a television feed over the monitor. As she changes the channels, there is only static. "Eggman's broadcasting this to the entire world."

"So I invite you to join me. Under the Eggman Empire, I will provide for everyone exactly three meals per day and ample time to rest and recharge. An underground prison- er, I mean... a pristine and beautiful lodging is waiting for you! I hope you'll make the correct decision." With that, the static video cuts out and Amy's monitor shifts back to its standard televised programming.

Amy talks over the micro-communicator. "...Silver? You heard that, right?"

"Yeah, I did. We all did. This is crazy… but we have to look up. I'm entering the Mystic Ruins now. We'll talk more in a few minutes."

"Alright, sounds good." A beep and the connection is severed. "Ugh, I can't believe this… Oogh, that Eggman…"

Knuckles' face is scrunched into a frown. Stuck in thought, he paces the room impatiently.

"So… just how long are we going to 'play defense,' Knuckles?" Rouge turns towards the Resistance leader, snapping him from his trance. She sports a cool expression, but there is a smudge of concern on the glass. "It's been almost a week and somehow Eggman already has over half the planet. We still don't know where Shadow, Tails, or Omega are, and we don't even know whether Sonic is alive or not." Her eyes lower. "We don't have enough people on our side, and we're not taking advantage of who we _do_ have. Pickle has some nice gadgets but the few who have them aren't even using them for an attack." Rouge frowns. "...As much as I hate to say it, Eggman's right. We can't cover ourselves forever. Do you really think this is the right way to go?"

"...What do _you_ think, Rouge?" Knuckles glowers at her angrily, bearing teeth. She leans back a little, slightly unnerved. "Do you think I'm not trying? Do you think I can't do this...?" With an inhale he lets out a long sigh, his visage softening. "...Look, I just don't want to just lead everyone into an attack without preparation… _especially_ not after what happened with Tails. He made the choice to go after Eggman himself." Knuckles tilts his head down, looking at his palms. "We weren't going to chase after him and get ourselves into trouble too. I feel like Tails would have been the first person to understand that the safe option is the better one. Instead he thought getting Sonic would magically solve all our problems. He saw what happened."

Hearing Knuckles, Rouge glares contemplatively, but it soon shifts to a smile which spreads across her entire face. And she starts laughing. She laughs so hard she holds her stomach and ends up wiping a tear from her eye. There is a clear catharsis to be found in her actions. "Ahah, woa, when'd you get so insightful, big guy? You definitely don't sound like the same bonehead I met back on Angel Island."

Knuckles' eyes widen at what Rouge says, and then he clears his throat, flattered. "I've just made a lot of mistakes, and had a lot of time to myself to learn from them. The _world_ is at stake here, Rouge. So now isn't a good time for me to slip up again." His eyes suddenly narrow and he growls a little as Rouge's second sentence sinks in. "H-hey, and I'm not a bonehead!"

"Good to see you still haven't changed in some ways," Rouge quips. "...I don't know, I guess I'm a little worried. ...We really can't keep this up forever, Knuckles. Sure, what Tails did was hasty, but we're not actually doing anything standing here like this either. Do you honestly think while the ten or twenty of us are pushing Eggman away, he's just going to get tired?" She places a hand on Knuckles' shoulder in a rare act of genuine compassion. "You're not looking at the big picture. We were having trouble getting more people to join, so you just gave up instead of finding a way around it. We might have even been able to take back Ice Cap if you moved up while Silver was busy. For someone so stubborn, you've been pretty quick to call it quits lately."

Knuckles' gaze falls as he realizes his mistake. "Hmph... Yeah, you're right. I just… I wasn't sure what to do. I still feel like I should have stopped Tails. If I go too far and we lose anyone else..." He speaks with a low tone. "Man, I feel stupid."

Rouge smiles. "Yeah, you can be, hon. We wouldn't be here right now if we weren't ready for this. How are you going to have an army if you're worried about them actually going out and fighting? Everyone here _wants_ to help, so holding us back and having us work 'defensively' even when you know there's things we can do isn't doing us any favors."

Knuckles has an epiphany.

"Of all the times I pick to be dumb again…" Knuckles exhales, weary. "Thanks for the help, Rouge." He is about to walk away, but then turns back around to look at her with a bewildered expression. "...Hey, when'd you care so much about me, anyway?"

Rouge smirks. "Oh, don't get confused. I can't take the Master Emerald for myself if the Eggman Empire doesn't even let me walk outside at night!"

Amused, Knuckles grins. "You're a bad liar." As he says this, the large door slides open and Silver walks in, followed by the Chaotix.

"If the Death Egg's back up, then Eggman's really going all in this time," Vector says, holding his head. "We definitely can't hold out with this few people now! We gotta come up with a plan."

"I've got an idea." Stricken with inspiration, Knuckles turns to Silver. "I need you and Amy to do that thing Eggman just did."  
Silver squints an eye. "...You mean a broadcast?"

"Yeah, that. Set up a… broadcast like Eggman's and make it work with my micro-communicator. Make sure the whole world can hear me."

Silver does as is told and walks over to Amy's computer, pressing buttons and looking everything over. "Alright, you'll be live in ten seconds." He smiles at Knuckles, as if immediately understanding.

Amy steps away from the computer, and Knuckles seems to pick up on her confusion when he looks in her direction. "You'll see."

"Live in five, Knuckles!"

"Alright!" As Silver counts down the last five seconds, Knuckles stands in the center in of the room, looking forward. His eyes are fierce but he is glowing with confidence and vigor, a smile on his face. When it's his cue, he speaks, and he has the world's attention.

"Can anyone hear me? This is Knuckles the Echidna, the chief commanding officer of the Resistance Army in our fight against Eggman. I can't talk for long, so let me get straight to the point." He closes his eyes and sighs a great sigh of relief. "...We need your help. Do you see what Eggman is doing? 'This splendid world'... do you hear that mess!? Don't be fooled - the only thing he wants is to _own_ the world and make it his toy to play with! Soon, we're going to come up with a strategy to stop that Egghead. But to do this, we'll need more manpower. That's where you come in. You don't need experience, and it doesn't matter how old you are."

Knuckles lifts his fist and gives it a strong shake. His call to action. "All you need is a will to fight and protect! That's the only requirement to be a soldier. That's the only thing the Resistance needs to succeed!" Everyone in the base has their eyes on Knuckles, whose conviction has them all captivated. "...Sonic's down, but that doesn't mean it's the end. Far from it. We're going to take things into our own hands, now. All of us, together. I can't make you join, but if you do, we'll welcome you with open arms. That's all."

Amy pushes a button and with a beep the broadcast ends. She has a faint smile on her face. "Aw, that was great, Knuckles!"

Espio shuts his eyes in contemplation. "A moving speech. But are you certain this will improve our circumstances?"

Silver answers. "I speak for Knuckles when I say I know it will. Everyone feels hopeless because Sonic's gone. But sooner or later the world needs to understand that no matter what happens, nothing is lost, not as long as you have your own two feet."

"Silver gets it." Knuckles grins. "Tonight, we'll start scouting for more people and make sure everyone who wants to join knows how to go through the Mystic Ruins. I'm expecting our army to at least triple. After that…" He catches Rouge wink at him out the corner of his eye, and he can't help but smile. "...After that, we're going on the offensive. No more stalling. No more uphill battles. We'll retrieve Sonic, and we'll turn this war around. It's one thing for Eggman to take the Master Emerald, but it's another thing for him to try and take the _planet._ As long as I stand here - as long as _we_ stand here - he's not winning this one."


End file.
